This testimonial is a personal learning journey of a participant in the Implementation Journey by Teach For All and Enseña por Colombia. In the project, university students become Fellows of the programme, taking a two-year placement in the countryside of Colombia to learn and implement social-emotional skills with their teacher colleagues, students and the wider community. Researchers at Teach For All iterate the innovation based on the results.
Name: Víctor Machado
Role: 1st year fellow in the Teach for All program
School: Fundación Educativa Ecológico Barbacoas, Alianza Educativa
Location: Santa Ana, Barú, Colombia
Student Details
- Classes taught: 4th and 5th
- Age of students: 9 - 11 years
- Number of students: 122
- Subjects taught: Spanish language & Class management
Expectations and Goals for Joining the Programme
Why did you decide to join Enseña por Colombia?
I decided to join Enseña por Colombia initially because of a friend who told me how exciting it was and how it offered a different perspective on education. I was drawn to its values—its sense of possibility, urgency, and excellence. These aren’t always prioritised in schools, where the focus tends to be solely on whether students achieve good results academically or not.
The community seemed interesting and diverse, which I still appreciate today. So, I applied, and told myself to give it my all if I got selected, and here I am.
Do you believe socio-emotional skills are important for learning and teaching?
Yes, I believe they are fundamental. Socio-emotional skills influence the way we understand ourselves and how we lead. For instance, a teacher who is capable of self-leadership and self-awareness can have a greater impact on others. For teachers socio-emotional skills are crucial, not only for engaging with students but also for working collaboratively with colleagues. We coexist in a diverse environment where everyone thinks differently, and this diversity is reflected in the classroom. With around 35 students per class, each with their own perspective, managing emotions, self-regulation, and self-awareness can be challenging.
My perspective on the importance of social emotional skills has changed completely during this programme. Initially, I didn’t think they were closely linked to the content I taught in Spanish language lessons. However, when I connected self-awareness with adjectives, using adjectives to help students describe and understand themselves, it was a game changer.
Many people, children and adults alike, struggle to identify what they like, dislike, or what makes them uncomfortable. That’s where self-awareness comes in. Once students develop this awareness, they can reflect on their leadership, regulate themselves, and make responsible decisions.
How can we expect a child to self-regulate if they don’t yet know who they are? How can we expect them to make responsible decisions or work well with others if they are still in conflict with themselves? Socio-emotional skills are for life, not just for the classroom. The skills we develop in school extend to family life, helping students not just in their education but in shaping their future.
Can you give another example of how socio-emotional skills have impacted your daily responsibilities, both in and beyond the classroom?
These skills have helped me strengthen abilities I already had but wasn’t always conscious of. Often, we have strengths and areas for improvement but don’t always acknowledge them. When we name things, we make them conscious.
Through socio-emotional training, I’ve been able to identify my strengths and areas where I can grow. This has led to a more intentional approach to both teaching and living. I now understand how far I can push myself, when to challenge myself, and when to take a step back. This awareness also allows me to make a greater impact on others.
Implementation of the Innovation
How would you describe your experience participating in and implementing the new socio-emotional skills module?
My experience has been very positive. Initially, socio-emotional skills weren’t my main focus. When I was assigned to this project, I saw it as an extra burden. However, once I started engaging with the strategies and resources, I realised how beneficial it was.
When I first arrived at my school, I saw many challenges with student behaviour. What I hadn’t realised was how much their home environments influenced their learning. Some children weren’t used to being greeted with a simple “good morning” or being asked how they were. Many had never heard an encouraging word like, “You can do it.”
One day, he will reflect and think, “Despite everything, my teacher always believed in me.”
One student used to leave the classroom every day. Instead of scolding him, I would say, “I know you won’t do it tomorrow.” I haven’t fully resolved the issue, but I believe that message will stay with him. One day, he will reflect and think, “Despite everything, my teacher always believed in me.” I didn’t have that kind of support when I was in school, so now I try to give my students what I didn’t have.
My students now understand concepts like self-regulation and self-awareness. They were always capable of working with others, but now they do so consciously. I feel that I have learned the most from this process. Since joining Enseña por Colombia and working with socio-emotional skills, my own development has been profound.
Lessons Learned
What has been your biggest challenge in applying the socio-emotional skills module?
Finding time to implement activities within the curriculum was the biggest challenge, and many of my colleagues also found it challenging. Initially, it felt difficult to integrate these lessons, but I found ways to incorporate them into all my classes. For example, I started writing “Self-Regulation” on the board in large letters at the start of each lesson to reinforce the idea.
What helped you overcome this challenge?
Perseverance. My fourth-year students were especially energetic, and at times, teachers expect them to sit still and remain silent, which isn’t realistic. The more they challenged me, the more I embraced socio-emotional strategies.
Students even asked, “Can we improve our self-regulation score?” That’s when I realised it was working.
Other teachers noticed my approach and started using the same terminology. Students even asked, “Can we improve our self-regulation score?” That’s when I realised it was working.
One of my most memorable lessons involved kites. I grouped students together and asked those who knew how to make kites to teach their classmates. The students who had been the most challenging became the leaders, demonstrating real teamwork and purpose.
Socio-emotional skills have been transformative. While I don’t believe I’ve achieved complete success yet, I know I’m on the right path.
What is your greatest achievement in implementing socio-emotional skills?
The biggest impact has been self-leadership. I worked on this consistently with my students, and eventually, other teachers started integrating it into their lessons too.
One day, during a school assembly, the headteacher asked the students to “self-regulate.” My students looked at me and said, “That’s our word, teacher!” That’s when I knew the message had spread. Now, from the headteacher to students across all classes, everyone is using the same language.
Main Take-Aways from the Implementation Journey
What have you gained from participating in Enseña por Colombia?
I have learned to unlearn. Growth requires letting go of things that no longer serve us. This experience has been challenging, but it has helped me become more open to feedback and collaboration. I have learned to live in diversity, to learn from others, to lead and give up space for others to lead, to build together. These are things that I may not have had before.
What have you gained from the socio-emotional skills programme?
A new sense of purpose. Next year, I want to expand this impact beyond the school and into the wider community. Children can take these skills home, helping reduce conflict and improve relationships. I think that children can replicate all these socio-emotional skills in their homes and they themselves generate an impact. Because here not only students enroll, but families. A student who brings these socio-emotional skills to his family will contribute to suddenly lowering the levels of intolerance, mistreatment, and harassment at home.
Next year, I want to expand this impact beyond the school and into the wider community.
So I feel that making children aware of the skills and what they can provide and give to others, that they are replicators, multipliers of socio-emotional skills is the challenge that I am taking with me for next year. And I feel that we are going to achieve it because I feel that I am in a community that is beautiful, it is very nice, like all of them. And I feel that we can continue to strengthen socio-emotional skills in families so that these children are the first to say good morning when they wake up and they don't have to wait to get to school because no one says good morning to them. They go out on the street and no one does. So I feel that, if this doesn't start at home, we can replicate it at school at home.
If you could start over, what would you do differently?
Although things always turn out well, you only realise that at the end. When you are in the process you are in conflict. I would have liked to have had more spaces with other fellows and other people from the community to share experiences and replicate this. I also think that if all my classmates from my bachelor’s programme had had access to the social-emotional skills program, they would have had a better time and would not have left. They experienced challenges that are normal in these diverse and challenging communities. If they had had those spaces, perhaps they would have stayed.
